


That Space Wedding You've Heard About (From Space)

by C-chan (1001paperboxes)



Category: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 23:12:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8820055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1001paperboxes/pseuds/C-chan
Summary: As far as Marvelous was concerned, there was nothing strange or surprising about it. After all, in all the ships he’d soared upon, the same story was told to him: a captain was supposed to marry. It was for the good of the ship. But what should be a simple affair turns into something far more complicated once his crew gets involved.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheSecondBatgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSecondBatgirl/gifts).



> I saw this prompt and went THIS IS SO MANIC! I MUST WRITE IT! I hope I've managed to do it proper justice, and that you enjoy. Happy Holidays!

As far as Marvelous was concerned, there was nothing strange or surprising about it.

In all the ships he’d soared upon, the same story was told to him: a captain was supposed to marry. It was for the good of the ship.

A marriage would provide stability and give a second hand in control of the crew. It was the first step in creating the second, third, fourth generation of explorers onboard. It even had prevented several mutinies, he’d heard, or at least their likelihood decreased significantly once a captain had another to stand at his side. Aka Red had never taken a spouse, but it had just been the three of them and times were never stable enough to seek the proper counsel even if he'd had an appropriate mate to choose. (In those days, Marvelous had been far too young and headstrong, and shuddered at the thought of what may have happened if Basco had been granted the honour.)

But now he was a captain in his own right on a ship with a crew of his own making. They had faced many dangers together and were beginning to truly feel more like a permanent unit than a group of rag-tag warriors and refugees from across the known stars. Indeed, the crew was closer than family. 

He could have picked any of them to ask. Gai would be enthusiastic, sure to put his great energy behind any encounter. Ahim would know politics and how to rule fairly, skills that were worth their weight in something far more valuable than gold. Don would be a careful voice of reason, weighing the plusses and minuses and forcing a moment of thought before rushing into action. Such moments in the past had cooled heads and saved lives. Luka would be herself, not letting anything change due to status, and there was an unbelievable sense of comfort at that thought. 

But Luka would itch at anything that held her in place, whether or not she wished to be there. Don might find the pressures uncomfortable. Ahim had made it quite clear that it was her duty to marry someone who could produce suitable and legitimate issue. And Gai… well, he truly couldn’t see himself asking the earthing, who still found so many of their customs odd even after a few years of traversing the galaxies.

And then there was Joe. Joe was his first mate; a position that often proved valuable in producing spousal candidates, or at least showcasing the skills that would be needed in such an eventuality. Joe was firm but kind, would fight and protect himself and his crew with his life, but would also take orders and understand when to stand down.  Keeping responsibilities aside, Joe was someone that Marvelous highly valued as a person. He was the first crewmate aboard his ship. He was the first he had spent nights talking with in the Galleon's galley. The first that had truly been his friend.

At the end of the day, Joe was simply the logical choice.

And so, he was surprised when he saw Joe’s eyes widen and his eyebrows raise when asked what should have been a simple question.

“Hey Joe, how about you and I get married?”

 

* * *

 

“It’s more that I’d never have been given the chance,” Joe explained after the initial shock had worn off. “In the Zangyack armies, soldiers aren’t allowed any sort of attachment, wedding or not. Something about it being a distraction from orders. Those that had families before they came in usually found them gone not too long after. Usually not at their own hands, but it wasn’t unheard of as a test of a recruit’s resolve.”

Marvelous placed a hand on his shoulder in condolence.

“I know.” Joe sighed. “I'm not one of them, and I'd have left the moment I was expected to do that myself. I… might have, actually. I'm not sure whose kids it was I was under order to kill. But it was probably just another control tactic at the end of the day — certainly never stopped anyone in the senior ranks. But that…" He paused, staring out into the starry permanent night of space surrounding them. "That was life. Marriage was never an expectation. Even when I was little, it never really has been.”

Marvelous sighed. “So I guess that means you’re not interested, huh?”

Joe cocked his head and smiled. “I told you the day we met that I’d stand by your side no matter what. Why should this be an exception?”

 

* * *

 

“So you two, huh?” Luka asked, giving the pair an appraising look. “Not too surprising, I guess. How long has this been going on?”

Joe smirked. “It hasn’t, really."

“What do you mean by ‘this’ anyway?” Marvelous asked. “A ship is meant to be run by many hands, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Luka agreed with a shrug. She smiled and clapped her arm around Joe’s shoulders. “Marrying a captain, though? Good for you. You’re really moving up in the world, huh?”

The smirk turned into a puzzled expression. “Is that important where you come from?” 

“Yeah,” Luka agreed. “One more way out of the sewers, I guess you could say. Find someone smart enough to see you for the awesome find you are, or dumb enough to let you in anyway.” She laughed. “Usually it meant finding someone who was both, especially if you had sibs to feed. I would’ve had to start looking for someone soon, if you guys hadn’t come along. Not exactly the kind of life I’d want, of course, but beggars can’t be choosers.

“Besides…” She grabbed one of the training swords off the wall, swinging it around with ease, “I bet I could’ve turned the right guy into jelly for me. Not that hard to manipulate someone, once you get to know ‘em at all.”

Marvelous shook his head and smiled as Joe took a cautious step back, towards his own training sword in preparation for the oncoming spar. He couldn’t blame Luka for her tactics; a thief at heart even in the choosing of a mate, but he was more certain than ever that he’d chosen the right person to fill the role for him.

 

* * *

 

“Oh, a wedding, huh?” Don asked, off-handed tone showing he was more interested in his cooking than in his company.

The calm disinterest didn't last long, though, the pork cutlets that were supposed to be dinner going flying as he turned to face Marvelous. “A wedding?!?!?”

“Yes,” Marvelous agreed. “Like I said. It’s meant to be good for the crew and….”

“When?”

Marvelous shrugged. “As soon as we can. Get it done and over with and—“

“But what about the feasts?” Don asked. “It’s the wrong time of year for fresh lamb, and we’d need a whole month’s worth of budget saved to get the seven Bride’s Feasts prepared. Well, you’re both men so I suppose it’d be the seven Bride _ groom’s _ Feasts instead, but you’ve  _ got _ to have them all just right, otherwise the marriage is doomed to fail!”

“I’m pretty sure we break enough rules already that even the gods have given up on us," Marvelous laughed. "As for superstitions…."

“And what about clothes?” Don circled around him, giving an appraising look. “Do you even own anything suitable for a wedding, Captain?”

“Isn’t what I’ve got on fi—“

“And Joe hardly has anything that isn’t leathers or with fifteen holes in it or both! I  _ try _ to keep it all well mended, and it’s fine for wearing around the ship, or even in battle, but not for a  _ wedding _ .”

“But if we….”

“I guess if I cut back on our grocery budget by a tenth, I might be able to save up enough for the food by next year. If we stay grounded often enough, I might even be able to order the appropriate things. And Luka and Ahim could probably help figure out where to get the right clothes… I could probably even sew them together if we found some good fabric. I don’t know what to do about tokens, though. I’d say steal some of Luka’s jewelry, but it’s supposed to be heirlooms or keepsakes, and that rules out pretty much everything onboard. Maybe if we….”

Marvelous’ stomach growled, eyes training on the ruined cutlets scattered on the floor as Don started running around the galley, listing the various things that they’d need, and possible ways of obtaining everything on his impossibly long list. He stopped eventually, grabbing Marvelous by both hands and looking at him teary-eyed.

“Oh! I never thought I’d be able to help put one of these together again. Thank you for letting me know. This is going to be  _ great _ !”

Marvelous, on the other hand, was starting to think less and less of the idea of letting his crew in on the event by the minute.

 

* * *

 

“Oh, how wonderful!” Ahim said, clasping her hands together. “You and Joe, I take it?”

“Yeah,” Marvelous agreed, taking a sip of the tea Ahim had served. The teacups still confounded him, far more dainty than the wood and metal vessels he’d grown up with, but they suited her and it wasn’t a bad indulgence by any means. He’d broken more than one in his day, but she would just smile, clean it up, and buy another one or two from the next planet with access to such things.

“And I suppose you would like me to officiate,” Ahim mused. “As the princess of the late planet of Famille, I have heard such petitions before.”

Marvellous raised an eyebrow. “You have?”

“Certainly,” Ahim agreed. “When one is seen as both the head of church and state, one is asked to officiate many marriages. I will not say that it was my primary task as a member of the royal family, nor that we ever agreed to officiate many. However, when the timing and need served appropriate, I have certainly stepped in. In fact, between my planet’s destruction and encountering you, I oversaw no less than three couples’ solemn vows to Notre Père-Dieu. If you require my services in such a manner, I would be more than happy to fulfill the duty and be part of your happy day.”

Marvelous gave a small huff, smiling at the princess as she took a sip from a small pink teacup. (Which planet was this one from, he wonders. It reminds him not so much of any of theirs as something a little more… carnivalesque.)

“That’s all you want? No crazy customs you want to add to our wedding or anything?”

Ahim shook her head. “No custom is ever crazy, Captain. Even if we arguably share common beginnings, each planet has developed its own traditions over time. If everyone is attempting to bring them together into this wedding, it is merely a sign of our solidarity, our love for you two, and our hopes to bring you as happy a time together as we have had as a full group. Perhaps in creating our own traditions, a mix of our original home worlds’ as they may be, we shall be able to create a wonderful experience for all  involved, fostering lasting memories. As for myself, if I may be a part of your day and create the ceremony alongside you, that is all I would ask.”

Maybe he should have thought more about what the ceremony would entail and what it would mean to have a princess presiding. However, it was one less thing he had to worry about, and one more crew member’s whim. Really, it didn’t seem that bad at all.

 

* * *

 

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?” Gai asked, eyes wide as he pointed back and forth between Marvelous and Joe. “You, and you, are going to—“

Marvelous sighed, wondering what ever made him think this was a good idea. Watching Joe put a hand to his forehead, he was fairly sure his companion was thinking the same. “It’s a vital step in securing a ship’s longstanding stability, one that has been practiced by spacefarers for centuries.”

“But—but you’re both  _ men! _ ” Gai exclaimed. “I mean, I’ve heard that it’s done some places, but I never thought that space people would—“

“Yeah, we’re men,” Marvelous agreed, standing. “What of it?”

“Nothing I guess,” Gai replied. “I mean, It’s just not done where I’m from. Guys marry girls in churches with white clothes and organs and it’s kinda cool and stuff.”

“You said it’s done in some places, though,” Joe mused. “Marriages between people like us.”

“Yeah,” Gai agreed. “America does it now. And most of Europe, I guess. Not so much over here, though. Not that it’s not illegal or anything, I guess.”

Marvelous shrugged. "So then we get married in one of those places where everyone does it."

“Oh!” Gai exclaimed. “A destination wedding! That’d be so amazingly romantic! Love proclaimed on the shores of Hawaaii, a couple makes their vows and kisses at sunset, their feet nestled in the warm sand as they seal their vows with a kiss in front of an adoring audience— OH!!!!”

The silver-clad man started running around, grabbing a collection of scattered notebooks, and Joe and Marvelous shared a look.

“You need an audience for your wedding! We’re going to have to invite everyone! I wonder if we can arrange a time machine to get some invitations to the Timerangers. Or, hmm. Maybe just send theirs with the Shinkengers’ and see if Kaoru will send it down her line for a few generations. The ToQgers could probably serve as ring bearers and flower girls, if we asked. Ah, but going  _ back _ in time might be a little harder. Send the back in time ones with the forward in time ones, and maybe do it that way? Or maybe wait until the day of when they arrive and make them run an errand before the wedding… hmm….”

Well, as Ahim said, at least this would bring them all together a little more.

 

* * *

 

It ended up taking just over a year for everything to properly come together.

With Gai’s help, they scoured the globe looking for the right location. It had to be picturesque, on the request (or demand) of half the crew. And, thanks to the guest list, it had to be  _ big _ . Marvelous still didn’t understand why two orphaned shipmates would need anything less than each other, or perhaps their crew, but under Gai’s hand, a couple hundred people would probably be attending.

It was Gai’s dream suggestion of Hawaii that ended up winning out, when a large, picturesque beach with several hotels a short distance away was located and deemed both big enough and suitably bookable.

The first RSVP arrived even before the invitations were sent out: the Timerangers delivering theirs the day before a stack of paper cards arrived ready to be personalized and posted. Others followed on a more normal timeline, with Gai finally showing them the true power of the PO Box system. Some were simple notes of acceptance (or, in a few cases, regret), though some were a bit more personalized. One from Gentaro Kisaragi (a man who Marvelous vaguely remembered meeting on a handful of occasions) waxed poetic on marriage as a pure and distilled form of friendship. A slightly more puzzling one came from a group that even Gai didn't quite remember inviting. It stated that their team of nine would be arriving in Japan shortly, and that while they would not be attending the wedding, they'd be happy to look after things back home while the ceremony took place. (The signature, marking themselves as the 41st sentai, sent Gai into a state of ecstatic shock.)

The idea of such a large wedding was still intimidating, far less personal and significantly more formal than the quick ship weddings he'd known as a child. But, with such an audience came an excuse for pageantry. And if there was one thing Marvelous and his crew could do well, it was being showy.

 

* * *

 

Under Ahim’s care, the ceremony transformed into something far more extravagant than Marvelous ever expected. Sure, the contract and formal exchange of vows were included, but so were a myriad of rituals too diverse to be from any one planet alone. Together, they practiced each one until they could perfectly be performed as easily as any of Joe's sword techniques, and fitted them together into a ceremony that could smoothly transition between elements.

Marvelous was the one that insisted in the entrances being showy, which somehow evolved into one arriving by land and the other by air. Rappelling had always been a strong suit of both Marvelous and Joe, but as the Galleon was his, he won the right to enter from above while Joe made his way between the rows of waiting guests. From there, once assembled, their righteousness would be proven and witnessed by Luka. Hands would be clasped and vows exchanged as a series of thin ropes were wound and knotted around them, and then they would walk seven times clockwise around a spiral of candles. After that came a brief sermon, the final morsels of the Last Bridegroom’s Feast, the signing of some documents (in triplicate) and a kiss. And then, all going well, they would finally be able to call themselves married.

Admittedly, Marvelous stopped paying attention the third time Ahim tried to explain the significance of each rope and its knots, but for all the details that he didn't truly care about, he had to agree that the service would be memorable at least.

 

* * *

 

It felt like a large weight removed from Marvelous' chest when Don explained that  the Bridegroom’s Feasts didn't have to be prepared for everyone who was going to be attending the wedding. (The ever expanding guest list making him increasingly wary, even as Gai enthusiastically explained who everyone was and how their attendance would be  _ amazing. _ ) Usually it was made only for the families of the wedding party as a way for them to meet, gain an understanding of each other, and bestow the customary blessings for a long, happy, and fruitful marriage. The closest family either of them had was the crew, and a feast for six sounded much more manageable.

As it was, the scrimping needed to make the feasts for the crew just meant a few worse cuts of meat, a stronger reliance on cheap produce, and nonperishables being purchased in bulk whenever possible. Stew became a staple of their diet, and Joe soon perfected a biscuit recipe that apparently cost hardly anything but tasted amazing when used to soak up every last bit of gravy.

Don wouldn’t let anyone help him prepare the feasts, though he seemed more frazzled than usual for it; going through notebook after notebook, writing down jot notes and compiling grocery lists. He’d been the last one to bed the night before the first feast and the first one up as well, only stopping once in his preparation to repair a broken bit of circuitry.

That night the table was full of five colours of cake, vegetables and grains, sauces that ranged from sweet to savoury to salty to bitter, and the fresh lamb that Don had worried over the year before. 

Each banquet was said to be more extravagant than the ones that had come before, and Marvelous' mouth watered at the thought of what could possibly be to come. If he had known that marriage tasted this good, he would have done it years ago.

 

* * *

 

There wasn’t really any doubt that Luka would be involved in the wedding party. Her being both of their seconds was unorthodox, but somehow seemed right. In part, this was because Ahim was already officiating, Don hardly seemed able to leave the kitchen, and Gai would be needed to greet everyone and usher them to their seats, being the only one who could recall even a tenth of the guests by face or name. But she was also the one they'd both known the longest, the strongest fighter, the second mate, and the most frank in the right sort of matters to fit naturally with both of them.

Thankfully, she took to the position with relish. She even helped them find suitable keepsakes for exchanging, selling off a necklace that she swore she never wore anyway to procure two rings that don’t quite match each other, but work with each of them individually. Joe’s is slender and subtle, something that won’t get in the way of his sparring. Marvelous’ glints in the light, a symbol of treasure.

After all, a good mate and a solid crew are more valuable to a captain than any treasure that could be stolen or bought.

 

* * *

 

Joe insisted on baking the wedding cake himself. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been surprising. After all, the ex-soldier was the de facto baker and pastry chef of the crew and had been known to stress bake on occasion. Having half the crew enlist as sous-chefs was necessary due to the size of the task, and also somehow incredibly endearing.

Marvelous and Luka were banned from the kitchen with apologetic looks from Don and reminders from Gai on the last time they’d both attempted to help. (A third of the batter had ended up on the walls and half of it in their mouths before the oven was even pre-heated. It had been tasty batter at least….)

Still, they could see and hear the goings on as plans were made and options explored. The cake would have six tiers, each one being a different flavour. At least four dozen cupcakes would be made in each as well, to ensure plenty for each guest.

As he overheard Joe and Don discussing the proper way to make the best decorative toppings, and Ahim weighing in on the aesthetic side, Marvelous had to smile. It would be a good day, a good wedding, and the food was going to be  _ delicious _ .

 

* * *

 

Some truths are universal. Among these is the fact that at least five things will go wrong at any major event, regardless of whether it's a decisive battle, a coronation, or a remarkably oversized wedding. Sometimes these mishaps will lead to spectacular failure and sometimes they are dealt with and sidestepped efficiently enough that others will never know the difference.

A giant monster attacking in the middle of one's vows is a little more conspicuous.

Not that the monster stayed around long. Not that Marvelous could blame it; the sight of over 30 sentai teams, 15 Kamen Riders, and various Space Sheriffs, Ultramen, and other heroes of justice preparing for battle in less than a minute was exhilarating enough as he attempted to henshin with his off hand (the other still tied to Joe's). If he were the monster, he would have gone running too.

The only damage done was to the dessert tables, now upturned in such a way as to create a field of cupcakes in the sand. Joe cried for the lost work, and Gai made some extremely loud noises of despair, but all in all, it was deemed negligible. The large, multi-tiered cake would have to be cut into small pieces, but it, at least, had survived.

Once chairs were righted, seats were taken, and everyone had returned to their civilian forms, the ceremony continued as if it had never stopped.

And so, they were married upon the Hawaiian shores, their hands clasped as they made their vows to each other, and to whichever deity cared to listen that day.

 

* * *

 

In all the ships he’d soared upon, the same story was told to him: a wedding was to be a small affair, with only as much fanfare as could be afforded within the crew itself. The day should be a holiday from work as much as possible, but nothing elaborate should be done. And after a night of revelry and merrymaking, duty should resume with both spouses behind the helm.

As he sat amidst his crew on the third night of something Gai called a honeymoon, watching dancers perform as a whole pig and several fish were roasted over open flame, he could say that his own wedding involved none of these customs. And yet, in bringing in theirs, as diverse as the distance between their home planets, it had become more than he could ever have imagined. 

He wouldn’t have traded a moment of it for the world.


End file.
